Psalm 82 (and John 10:31-39)

Yesterday’s Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon centered on the command to “love your neighbor.”  He pointed out that if we were poor and our neighbor rich, we must not envy him nor hate him because of his wealth.  If we were rich and our neighbor poor, we must not consider him to be insignificant or undeserving of our time and attention.  God calls us to love!  Consider this in relationship to this Psalm which calls God to judge the earth (v8).

This Psalm is remarkable given its use by Christ (John 10:31-39).  When challenged by the Jews for His claim to be the “Son of God,” a claim rightly understood to be a claim of deity and for which the Jews were about to stone Him, Jesus answered “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’” (Jn. 10:34 quoting Psa. 82:6).  To understand Jesus’ we must understand this Psalm.

To understand this Psalm requires a simple reminder of basic names of God.  Elohim is plural and El singular of what is generally translated God in English translations.  But the Hebrew terms refer to the Mighty One and are used to identify gods (idols) as well as mighty created beings such as angels (Psalm 8:6) or humans (as in Psalm 82).  Here is how Psalm 82 begins: “God (Elohim) stands in the congregation of the mighty (el); He judges among the gods (elohim).”  These mighty gods referred to are the unjust judges of 82:2.  God calls them gods (elohim) because of their inflated egos, so to speak.  In the end, they are not so great for they will die like men, and fall like one of the princes.  

Jesus’ use of this Psalm fits perfectly.  In Psalm 82 it is an indictment of powerful men who judge falsely.  In John 10 Jesus is saying, If God referred to powerful men of earth as ‘gods’ certainly He, the One who has given clear proof of His deity by the works He performed, can be called Elohim.  Jesus is not lowering Himself to being merely elohim as is seen in His reference to the proofs of His being Elohim, the proofs of His miracles, signs and wonders.

Jesus reference to Psalm 82 is a powerful claim given the closing verse of the Song.  God (Elohim) is called to judge the earth since He shall inherit the nations (v8).  Yet it is the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to be the Heir of the nations (Psalm 2:7-9).  The Messiah is identical to the judge of the whole earth: For the Father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him (John 5:22-23).  This Psalm strongly supports the Bible’s claims that Jesus was Elohim in bodily form (Col. 2:9).

So let us take to heart this powerful Psalm.  Let us exalt the Lord Jesus Christ this day.  Let us not forget that His judicial opinion of us is what matters.  Let us show Christ-like love for our neighbor, being compassionate, merciful and kind.  Let us love them by declaring His greatness and the greatness of the gospel message which alone brings deliverance from the hand of the wicked.